Baby Names That Mean God
Across 9 pages
of 9
Mitchell
English variation of Michael
"who is like God"
Mitchell has had something of a roller coaster ride, showing some panache in the forties and fifties, when it was seen as a sharper alternative to Michael with its cool Mitch nickname, slipping a…
Lisa
English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Italian
"pledged to God"
Elvis naming his daughter Lisa Marie and Nat King Cole's hit song "Mona Lisa" conspired to catapult one of Elizabeth's many offshoots to a high of #4 in 1970. It has largely fallen from favor in the…
Oziel
Hebrew
"might of God"
An obscure Old Testament name used by parents of 75 boys in 2016, Oziel could be a distinctive route to fashionable nickname Oz.
Zephan
Hebrew
"God has hidden"
This shortened form of Zephaniah makes an original Old Testament choice. It might plausibly make an honor name for Stephen or Stephan, and comes with the appealing short form Zeph.
Kitto
Cornish, diminutive of Christopher, Greek and Latin
"bearer of Christ"
Kitto updates Dad Name Christopher with a trendy o-ending short form. Use it as an honor name or an original nickname.
Kit
English, diminutive of Christopher
"bearer of Christ"
Actor Kit Harington, aka the dreamy Jon Snow on Game of Thrones , has given this nickname-name new style and appeal for boys. Actress Jodie Foster used it for her son back in the 2000s, while actor…
Kit
English diminutive of Katherine, Greek
"pure"
Kit is a crisp, old-time nickname with plenty of spirit and style. In the UK it's a rising star for boys, while in the US, it is trending upwards for girls too. Originally used as a diminutive of…
Godwin
Germanic, from Anglo-Saxon
"friend of God"
A rare name from Archaic Germanic that is rarely used nowadays, Godwin is the Germanic variant of Anglo-Saxon Godwine. Also used as a surname, it may be a bit heavy as a first name for a modern baby…
Shekinah
Hebrew
"God's presence; dwelling place of God"
A spiritually significant choice, Shekinah is derived from a Hebrew word meaning "dwelling" or "settling", and has been by Jewish scholars to refer to place of divine presence. While it isn't a…
Elsa
German diminutive of Elisabeth
"pledged to God"
Lost in limbo for decades and decades, Elsa now stands a good chance of following along in the progression from Emma to Ella to Etta, thanks to the ice queen heroine who "Let It Go" in the wildly…
Shecaniah
Hebrew
"dweller with Yahweh, one intimate with God"
A rare Biblical name, Shecaniah appears a number of times throughout the Bible and may be related to the concept of Shekinah, referring to a place of divine presence. In the case of this masculine…
Hrishikesh
Hindu
"lord of the senses"
Hrisihikesh (the first H is silent) is another name for Lord Vishnu. Musician Hrishikesh Hirway is the creator of the popular podcast Song Exploder. The internationally-friendly short form is Hrishi,…
Theon
Greek
"godly"
Theon, an ancient name attached to a noted Greek teacher of mathematics and astronomy, also father to the first woman mathematician, might appeal to parents in this field. You can think of Theon as…
Bettina
Diminutive of Elizabeth
"God is my oath"
Bettina is a dainty ballerina version of Betty, that has not been heard much since its 1950s-60s heyday. Bettina appeared in the Danielle Steele novel Loving, and in real life as one of Grace Kelly's…
Bess
English diminutive of Elizabeth, Hebrew
"pledged to God"
Although she declared her independence as far back as the reign of Elizabeth I — Good Queen Bess, Bess now sounds less passé than Beth or Betsy.
Beth
English diminutive of Elizabeth, Hebrew
"pledged to God"
The sweetest and most sensitive of the pet names for Elizabeth, now also one of the most dated.
Betsy
Diminutive of Elizabeth
"pledged to God"
This Elizabeth nickname has a decidedly retro feel--think Betsy Ross and the Betsy Wetsy doll-- once seen as a perkier, younger-sounding alternative to Betty. But with Betty on the brink of a…
Betty
Diminutive of Elizabeth, Hebrew
"pledged to God"
Combine the popularity of Betty White and Mad Men 's glamorous Betty Draper Francis, with the residual sweetness of Ugly Betty 's Betty Suarez, and the result is an impending return of the name. It's…
Dinah
Hebrew
"God will judge"
Dinah is a charming, underused Old Testament name with a rich literary and musical resume. In the Old Testament, Dinah was the beautiful daughter of Jacob and Leah and while some conflate her with…
Dolly
English, diminutive of Dorothy
"gift of God"
Sweet and cosy with a touch of sass, this nickname-y choice was a familiar option up until the sixties in the US. Then, for a while, it was a bit of a one-person name, associated with singer Dolly…